POB @ Harris Theater in Chicago

Another 'moment', beforehand, occured just as my friend and I entered the lobby from the 'back' entrance connecting to the parking garage -- which also happens to be right next to the artist's exit. Who shound emerge but Gillot, dressed down but striking. Recognizing her, I stopped my friend, who then saw her as well, and we stood (likely making the same stupid starstruck face) as she passed not more than a few feet by us. I think we were the only ones to recognize her, making the moment even more serendipitous.

Those of you in New York have much to look forward to!

Why did you not speak to her, tney all speak very good English and are friendly and approachable, and welcome your interest.

I was thrilled to run into them ALL at Midway security as my group was heading back to Toronto and they were going to Washington. Spoke to Vincent Chaillet, Nicolas Le Riche (children in tow) and Aurelie Dupont (also children in tow). I was tempted to say "you are a GODDESS" to Aurelie, but was more restrained.

Haha, I wondered if the kids got to come! And that was my problem too...what else is there to say? That and shyness makes for a tonguetied balletomane. As a sidenote, its unfortunate they had to use Midway...but maybe I'm in the minority for preferring O'Hare.

Haha, I wondered if the kids got to come! And that was my problem too...what else is there to say? That and shyness makes for a tonguetied balletomane. As a sidenote, its unfortunate they had to use Midway...but maybe I'm in the minority for preferring O'Hare.

Oh how lucky, to see their children as well, I did wonder if they would take them, as Aurelie has said that she hates leaving them behind, as she misses them, was Jeremie Belingard with her as well, ? Auirelie can be quite shy, but more animated if he is with her, as he is more chatty. Nicholas Le Riche and Clairemaries girls are older I think? Now I feel quite jealous.

Oh how lucky, to see their children as well, I did wonder if they would take them, as Aurelie has said that she hates leaving them behind, as she misses them, was Jeremie Belingard with her as well, ? Auirelie can be quite shy, but more animated if he is with her, as he is more chatty.

I saw Belingard leaving the Harris Theater with his young son before the evening show.

Oh how lucky, to see their children as well, I did wonder if they would take them, as Aurelie has said that she hates leaving them behind, as she misses them, was Jeremie Belingard with her as well, ? Auirelie can be quite shy, but more animated if he is with her, as he is more chatty.

I saw Belingard leaving the Harris Theater with his young son before the evening show.

Oh! Only one of them, was it Jacques the 4 year old or Georges the little one.? Were they both with them at the airport? Sorry for the barage of questions. I know Aurelie wants them to see why their parents are absent from home some evenings when they are old enough.

Oh! Only one of them, was it Jacques the 4 year old or Georges the little one.?

As Belingard was leaving the Harris Theater, he was holding hands with a little boy who could have been a 4-year-old. He was with another gentleman pushing a baby in a stroller. Don't know who the other man was or whether or not the baby was the other son.

I saw Madame Lefevre outside the Harris after the evening show looking a bit like a cross between the Baroness and the Mother Superior in The Sound of Music.

Alice Renavand lighting up a cigarette outside the Harris is the best argument FOR smoking I have ever seen.

Reading through the program, I couldn't help but notice how much turnover there will be at the etoile level in the next five years. By my count, 7 of the 12 etoiles on the tour will fall victim to the mandatory retirement age by 2017 (Ciaravola, Dupont, Gillot, Osta [almost gone], Belingard, Le Riche and Pech). I guess that presents plenty of opportunities for the dancers in the lower ranks to advance.

Lastly, I've been thinking a lot about much it must cost to fund a troupe like this one. Acclimated as I am to the starveling condiditions under which most dance companies in the United States operate, I'm floored at what it must to take to underwrite this company in terms of its size, its productions and its coaching -- mind-boggling! How can it go on given all the serious and long-term financial problems the entire West is facing??? Oh well, I will just keep my fingers crossed that the fiscal reckoning does not come anytime soon. For truly, as a wise woman once said, "apres nous, le Deluge."

Oh! Only one of them, was it Jacques the 4 year old or Georges the little one.?

As Belingard was leaving the Harris Theater, he was holding hands with a little boy who could have been a 4-year-old. He was with another gentleman pushing a baby in a stroller. Don't know who the other man was or whether or not the baby was the other son.

Thankyou, Sounds as if it could hav e been Jacques, who has the same colour hair as Aurelie, the younger one is 18 montrts old and I dont know who he looks like.

Last thoughts . . ....Alice Renavand lighting up a cigarette outside the Harris is the best argument FOR smoking I have ever seen....

I can relate: I sometimes think of Suzanne Farrell's career, especially the way she writes and speaks in recent years, as the best argument for dropping out of high school I know...

...Acclimated as I am to the starveling condiditions under which most dance companies in the United States operate, I'm floored at what it must to take to underwrite this company in terms of its size, its productions and its coaching -- mind-boggling! How can it go on given all the serious and long-term financial problems the entire West is facing???...

I feel the same way. It may be that the proportion of their GDP they spend on the arts is small enough that, the French being who they are, it will not come under the kind of harsh scrutiny ours did in good times many years ago, when such arts subsidies as we enjoyed (pun intended) for decades disappeared. In the meantime, Bastille Day being exactly a week away, I say, Mesdames et Messieurs, Vive la France!

Oh how lucky, to see their children as well, I did wonder if they would take them, as Aurelie has said that she hates leaving them behind, as she misses them, was Jeremie Belingard with her as well, ? Auirelie can be quite shy, but more animated if he is with her, as he is more chatty.

I saw Belingard leaving the Harris Theater with his young son before the evening show.

Oh! Only one of them, was it Jacques the 4 year old or Georges the little one.? Were they both with them at the airport? Sorry for the barage of questions. I know Aurelie wants them to see why their parents are absent from home some evenings when they are old enough.

The kid in the stroller with Belingard and Dupont looked like a clone of his father! I did actually talk to Aurelie, didn't want to hold her up too long as everyone looked tired and we all know what a strain it is travelling with children, so I just said "Allow me to say that Suite en Blanc pdd was the most exquisite thing I've ever seen". She did seem a bit shy so I didn't pursue it. Le Riche was much more chatty and smily, but again I didn't want to keep him too long as he had a child draped around his neck. Vincent Chaillet was very pleased to talk and later tweeted that they were lucky to have such passionate followers that we travelled from Toronto to see them.

This doesn't deserve its own thread so I'll place it here since we've mentioned Jeremie Belingard. He appears in one of the photos (p. 96) in the Kristen Stewart feature which is in the July issue of Vanity Fair. (I never understand her appeal -- always the same glum facial expression.)

I would like to say thank you very much to everyone who has posted about the POB 2012 Tour. It has been very enlightening and interesting hearing about the performances, casts, and off stage moments. I hope you all enjoyed your visits to the performances and had a safe journey home. Best Wishes.

Giselle is 'not considered a serious musical composition' by any professional musicians I have ever met, having been one myself for decades. That is putting it politely; orchestra members who are forced to endure it have far less complimentary comments on it, which would fill volumes. I have never heard of the musicologist from Oregon who wrote an apologia for the score of Giselle, but that sounds exactly like the sort of thing which musicologists now produce.
Tilson Thomas, by the way, is anything but an authority to be cited on anything.